Abstract—This study explores adolescent learners’ attitudes about mental and behavioural health concerns at a rural high school in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district, Free State Province, South Africa. Even though mental health awareness has increased globally, South Africa's rural communities continue to receive inadequate care, especially when it comes to adolescent mental and behavioural health. This study adopted a qualitative approach through an interpretive paradigm and phenomenological design. It employed semi-structured interviews to collect data. Eight adolescent learners were selected from a rural school. The narrative findings revealed that academic pressure, abuse, poverty, peer influence, and social stigma are key contributors to mental health struggles. While some students show knowledge and sensitivity, many still react negatively and with false information. The report emphasises how urgently rural schools require professional psychological care, focused mental health teaching, and the de-stigmatisation of mental health conditions. Based on resilience theory, the study promotes strength-based treatments that empower adolescents in rural areas and foster emotional growth.
Keywords: Adolescent learners, Adolescent learners’ attitudes Behavioural health, Mental health, Rural high school https://doi.org/10.38140/ijsse.v1i2.2103